Sunday, August 31, 2008

I gave up my garage to the pig and what does he do????? He decides that napping outside the dining room in the sun is nice, but to make it even nicer he needs to make a nest out of my peony plants!! I glanced out the windows to see him snuggled down in all of the branches that he has ripped from the plants and drug into a pile for him to sleep on. Addie, of course this being her baby, is thrilled that he is so intelligent as to actually rip the branches off and then DRAG them to a pile. Once she realizes I am less than amused and less impressed by the intelligence that this act shows announces that she feels that Buzz was framed by the ducks...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Last night our delinquient dog was nowhere to be found. It got dark and started raining so we decided to go to the back pasture and look for him at the neighbors where he likes to hang out. So, doing what every good mother does, I make Addie go with me for protection against wild animals and the dark!! We get up to the gate and hear an almost child like cry. Once our voices are heard the cry gets louder and more frantic. Poor Buzz- (he is Addie's baby)- a 1 year old pot belly pig who was raised on a bottle (in our bathroom no less). Buzz HATES the rain- typically this isn't a problem as there is a nice comfy barn for him to sleep in, but last night there were turf wars in the barn and it appears that the goats won (or as Addie believes, Buzz doesn't like the way the goats smell) . Poor Buzz was outside trying to squeeze his "big boned" body into his old little house that is a size too small... I don't know... does wood shrink??? Addie couldn't stand the thought of her poor little baby getting his nose wet in the rain like a common barnyard animal, so my car spent the night outside while Buzz snuggled down in the dog bed in the warm dry garage. We did leave a light on so as to not scare the begeebers out of Tom as he came home from work at midnight. Buzz, common barnyard swine??? Addie thinks not.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

We have had some beautiful weather after some summer rains and while dad works swing shift we decided to take a walk down the lane to our little country pioneer cemetary... it is just up the road and so pretty up on a hill. We always visit a pioneer family who had 5 children who died back in the 1800's all within a few years of each other. The mom died in her early 30's- I always imagine that it was from heartbreak. We have "adopted" this family that we visit. The kids take them flowers and we always say a prayer that they are all reunited in heaven together. We also visit the grave of one of Noah's very best friends who died way too young. We spend some time "visiting" Syd , then leave Noah for some alone time while we wander around. Molly cant figure out why it makes Noah so sad... Syd is with God in heaven... that is where we all want to be right? The kids also talk alot about their baby half- sister who died last year. Really, it wasn't a terribly morbid time, just a time that we enjoy just being surrounded by one another on top of that breezy beautiful hill and feeling just a bit closer to one another and talking about some of the stuff that doesn't come up all the time, but sometimes just needs to be talked about. As we walked home you could smell the sweet smell of ripe blackberries so Noah ran home for containers and we got to picking. The kids were so excited and I think it may have been the first time that the littles have had blackberries. No one liked the thorns, but they decided that God must like blackberries more than all the other berries and that is why he chose to protect them the most. Molly didn't end up with much to show for her efforts- she dropped and spilled her bucket a few times and what she didn't spill she ate. Yordi was the man. He must have had to scavange for food... he was all over those berries. I would find a clearing and plunk him down and he would pick until his pail was full. We brought home our prize and have enjoyed many blackberry smoothies!!!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Molly Shen turned 5 yesterday! Happy Birthday sweet girl. Seems like you were just an 18 month old baby put into my arms. Now you are getting all of your school supplies to start kindergarten.

It is a weird day... with the older kids, I think about the day they were born and know what I was doing and feeling... your birthday brings questions. I think of your birthmother all day- I wonder if she knows you are safe and loved and a firecracker. Please Lord, let her have peace today and know that the little girl that she gave birth to is loved and beautiful and wonderful.

THE GIFT OF LIFE

I didn't give you the gift of life,But in my heart I knowThe love I feel is deep and real,As if it had been so.

For us to have each otherIs like a dream come true.Though I didn't give you the gift of life,Life gave me the gift of you.

~Author Unknown

we celebrated by having waffle breakfast and presents then Chinese food and a Barbie ice cream cake for dinner. Does a day get much better????

Yordi: I marshmallows pesa peasTranslation: Can I have more pizza please?

Bis: Are you done?Me: no not yetBis: No, are you done?Me: no, not yetTranslation: I am done, come and wipe my bottom

A few weeks after the boys were home we were all out playing and a very excited Bis came running up with Molly's duck (currently the county Grand Champion duck) in his arms. With sign language and a few words Bis tells us that we can break its neck and eat it for dinner. Molly is obviously not impressed with her new brother who has proudly caught dinner for his momma. Quick lesson in not eating our pets...

We went camping... again. The boys, I am afraid, probably assume that they were adopted by gypsies. Luckily, they love dirt, so it is all good. We got to camp with the cousins and Grammy and Pa. We had 9 kids- ages 13, 11, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 4, 3... what fun. Unfortunately, the weekend ended with one of the cousins going to the hospital in an ambulance. It was a tubing accident that launched Hayden, Addie and Kyle about 20 feet in the air. All 3 were VERY stiff and sore, but thank God, all ok. As my brother-in-law put it- about every 3rd family get together SOMEONE goes to the hospital.

Bis isn't at home in the water- he stayed on shore when he got the chance. Yordi is just sillly enough to love swimming and boating. Of course Molly and Noah love tubing and Addie got in plenty of wakeboarding.